Cream remover



May 11, 1937. W, B, STEVENS 2,079,971

CREAM REMOVER Filed Sept. 25, 1936 /N VENTO/e I/l//LL ,een 5,5TE1/EN5 By (7% adi,

A TTORJVE V5' Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STAS ATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for removing cream or top milk from milk bottles or other milk containers and has for its object to provide a cream remover which may be inserted into a milk bottle or other container for the purpose of removing the cream or top milk therefrom. The invention contemplates further the provision of a device capable of being inserted into the milk bottle or other container without materially agitating the contents thereof and without displacing said contents suiiiciently to cause an overflow thereof. A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the indicated type which is attractive in appearance, efficient in operation, and easy to maintain in a sanitary condition. Other more specic objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates several examples of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of the cream remover; Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the device; Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of the cream remover in another form; Fig. 5 is a plan view thereof partly in section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a cross section on a somewhat enlarged scale on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom view of the device shown in Fig. 4.

In all of its forms the cream remover comprises a tubular container illustrated in the form of a cylindrical tube I preferably made of suitable metal or other material and generally of a diameter to easily fit within` the neck of a conventional milk bottle a. The lower end of the tube I0 is open and is closed by means of a movable closure of novel construction and arrangement which normally occupies its closed position and is automatically returned thereto. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the closure consists of a closure disk II of suitable material and of a diameter to easily t the end of said tube I0; the closure disk I I is pivotally connected with said tube I Il to swing about an axis I2 coinciding with the diameter of said tube I0 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The device further includes resilient means for normally maintaining the closure disk II in its closed position and for automatically returning it thereto, said resilient means being further manually operable to pivotally swing the closure disk II to an open position in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis of the tube I0. As shown in Fig. 1 the resilient means consists of a rod I3 having its lower end loosely connected at I4 with the closure disk I I and extending lengthwise of the tube i0 and upwardly beyond the same as illustrated 5 in Fig. 1. To slidably guide the rod I3, the tube I0 is provided at its upper end with a member I seated in recesses I S formed in the tube I0 and secured in place in any convenient manner; the member I5 is provided with a central open- 10 ing II. in which the rod I3 is slidably guided and extends diametrically acrloss and beyond the tube I0 to provide linger pieces I8 for the purpose to be more fully set forth hereinafter. A suitable spring I9 is included in the resilient 15 means for normally maintaining the closure disk II in its closed position and for returning it'thereto; in the form illustrated in Fig. l said spring I9 surrounds the rod I3 and has its one end secured thereto at and its other end secured to the member I5 as indicated at 2|. To facilitate the operation of the aforesaid resilient means in a manner to swing the closure disk II to its open position the rod I3 may be provided at its upper end with a head or equivalent device 22.

In addition to the parts so far described the novel cream remover includes inwardly projecting sealing means located at the open end of the tube I0 and adapted to project over and in sur- 30 face engagement with the closure exemplified by `the disk II when the latter is in its closed position, to seal the open end of the tube I0 against leakage. In the form shown in Figs. l and 2 the aforesaid sealing means comprises curved 5 flanges 23 and 24 extending partly about the circumference of the tube I0 and projecting inwardly therefrom at different levels as shown in Fig. 1; the iianges 23 and 24 are located so as to project over and in engagement with opposite faces of the closure disk II when the latter is in its closed position, without interfering with the pivotal swinging movements of said disk I I to and from its open position and vice versa.

In utilizing the cream remover so far described, a downward pressure is exerted upon the head 22 to correspondingly move the rod I3 against the tension of the spring I9 and to swing the closure disk I I on the axis I2 to the open position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l; in this open position the closure disk II extends edgewise in the direction of the length of the tube I0 and in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis thereof. The described manipulation of the head 22 and its associated elements is facilitated by the nger piece I8 which enables the user to properly grip the tube I or its equivalent as will be apparent. While maintaining the closure disk in its open position by a continued downward pressure on the head 22 or its equivalent, the cream remover is inserted into the neck of a milk bottle a or equivalent container either until the full length of said tube is within the bottle or the container, or for a predetermined distance as may be desired. In any case, because of the fact that the closure disk I I occupies an edgewise position and because of the relatively slight thickness of the lower end of the tube III, the cream remover passes through the cream Without displacing the same toany material extent, and without bringing about any agitation thereof which is sufcient to mix the cream with the milk in the upper end of the bottle a or its equivalent. As the tube I@ is inserted downwardly into the bottle a or other container with the closure disk in its open position the cream will naturally rise within the tube I0. At the proper time the downward pressure on the head 22 or its equivalent, may be released whereupon the spring I9 will immediately and automatically restore the closure disk II to its closed position to thereby confine a predetermined quantity of cream in the tube Ill. As the device is lifted from the bottle a or its equivalent to remove the cream contained in the tube IG therefrom, the sealing means exemplified by the anges 23 and 24 will prevent leakage ofsaid cream from the lower end of the tube IB. To remove the cream from the tube Ill it is simply necessary to again adjust the closure disk to its open position by downward pressure upon the head 22 whereupon the cream will flow from the lower end of the tube IB for instance into a suitable receptacle.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 to '7 inclusive, the closure for closing the lower end f the tube III comprises a closure disk consisting of two sections Il and ||b pivotally connected with each Vother and with the tube I0 by means of a pivot pin I2ad which coincides with a diameter of the tube IU as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The resilient means for normally maintaining the closure disk in its closed position and for automatically returning it thereto comprises a rod I3a extending lengthwise of the tube l0 and upwardly beyond the same; the rod I3a as shown in Fig. 4 may also be provided at its upper end with a head 22a or equivalent device, to facilitate the operation of the resilient means in a manner to pivotally swing the closure disk to its open position. In the illustrated example the rod |32* at its lower end is loosely connected with the respective sections IIa and IIb by means of links I3b as shown in Fig. 4. In this form the spring included in the aforesaid resilient means consists of a coil spring ISa surrounding the pivot pin I2a and bearing with its opposite ends against the `closure sections I IEt and I Ib respectively in a manner to normally maintain the closure disk in its closed position and to automatically return it thereto as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In the form of the device now being described a member corresponding to the member I of the first form is constructed in the form of a cap I5a arranged to fit upon and close the-upper end of the tube lil as shown in Fig. 4; the cap |5a is provided with a central opening |`|2L for guiding the rod I3a and includes portions projecting outwardly beyond the tube Ill to constitute nger pieces I8a as in the form first described.

The sealing means whereby the lower end of the tube III is sealed against leakage when th closure disk is in its closed position is shown in the form of an annular inwardly directed flange 23a located at the open end or the tube I0 and adapted to project over and in surface engagement with the disk sections ||a and IIb as illustrated in Fig. 4.

In using this device a downward pressure is exerted on the head 222L or its equivalent to correspondingly move the rod Isa and thereby swing the disk sections Ia and I Ib on the axis i221 downwardly toward each other to the open position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. In this open position the sections IIa and Ill? of the closure disk extend edgewise in the direction of the length of the tube It] and in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis thereof. With the disk sections I|a and ||b in the open position, the tube Ill is inserted into the container exemplified by the milk bottle a in the same way as previously described and when the desired amount of cream has risen in the tube IU pressure is released upon the head 22a to permit the spring I9a to automatically swing the sections IIa and i IlO to the closed position in surface contact with the sealing ange 23a. The cream remover may then be withdrawn from the bottle a or other container and opened to release the cream in the tube IEl by again exerting a downward pressure on the head 22a.

In all of its forms the cream remover constitutes an efficient device for removing all or a part of the cream contained in a milk bottle a, or equivalent container without disturbing the contents sufficiently to mix the cream with the milk and without displacing said contents to an extent suicient to cause overflow thereof. These characteristics enable the novel cream remover to be repeatedly inserted into the same milk bottle a or its equivalent and to thereby remove substantially all of the cream therefrom. The device is attractive in appearance and may be easily maintained in a clean sanitary condition and requires absolutely no skill in its operation and use.

It is to be understood that the illustrated parts of the cream remover may be replaced by other arrangements performing corresponding functions and it is to be particularly noted that the form of the rod I3a and its connection with the sections ||a and ||b may be replaced by many other equivalent arrangements.

Various changes in the specific forms shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cream remover adapted to be inserted into a milk receptacle comprising a tubular container having its lower end open, a closure for said open end pivotally connected with said container to swing about an axis coinciding with a diameter of said container, and resilient means for normally maintaining said closure in its closed position and manually operable to pivotally swing said closure to an open position in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis of said container.

2. A cream remover adapted to be inserted into a milk receptacle comprising a hollow cylindrical container having its lower end open, a closure for said open end pivotally connected with said container to swing about an axis coinciding with a diameter of said container, resilient means for normally maintaining said closure in its closed position and manually operable to pivotally swing said closure to an open position in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis of said container, and inwardly projecting sealing means at the open end of said container adapted to project over and in surface engagement with said closure in its closed position to seal said open end against leakage.

3. A cream remover adapted to be inserted into a milk bottle comprising a cylindrical tube having its lower end open, a closure disk for said open end pivotally connected with said tube to swing about an axis coinciding with a diameter of said tube, a member carried by said tube at its upper end and projecting outwardly beyond the same to constitute finger pieces, a rod slidably mounted in said member and having its lower end connected with said closure disk, a head xed upon the upper end of said rod whereby the latter is operable to pivotally swing said disk to an open edgewise position in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis of said tube, and a spring whereby said disk is normally maintained in its closed position and automatically returned thereto.

4. A cream remover adapted to be inserted into a milk bottle comprising a cylindrical tube having its lower end open, a closure disk for said open end pivotally connected with said tube to swing about an axis coinciding with a diameter of said tube, a member carried by said tube at its upper end and projecting outwardly beyond the same to constitute finger pieces, a rod slidably mounted in said member and having its lower end connected with said closure disk, a head xed upon the upper end of said rod whereby the latter is operable to pivotally swing said disk to an open edgewise position in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis of said tube, a spring whereby said disk is normally maintained in its closed position and automatically returned thereto, and inwardly directed flanges at the open end of said tube adapted to project over and in engagement with opposite faces of said closure disk to seal said open end against leakage without interfering with the pivotal swinging of said disk to its open position.

5. A cream remover adapted to be inserted into a milk bottle comprising a cylindrical tube having its lower end open, a closure disk for said open end consisting of two sections pivotally connected with each other and with said tube toV swing about an axis coinciding with a diameter of said tube, a member carried by said tube at its upper end and having portions projecting outwardly beyond the same to constitute iinger pieces, a rod slidably mounted in said member and connected with said disk sections interiorly of said tube, said rod being operable to pivotally swing said disk sections outwardly of said tube to an open edgewise position in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis thereof, and a spring whereby said disk sections are normally maintained in closed position and automatically returned thereto.

6. A cream remover adapted to be inserted into a milk bottle comprising a cylindrical tube having its lower end open, a closure disk for said open end consisting of two sections pivotally connected with each other and with said tube to swing about an axis coinciding with a diameter of said tube, a. member carried by said tube at its upper end and having portions projecting outwardly beyond the same to constitute iinger pieces, a rod slidably mounted in said member and connected with said disk sections interiorly of said tube, a head iixed upon the upper end of said rod for operating the latter to pivotally swing said disk Sections outwardly of said tube to an open edgewise position in substantial registry with the longitudinal axis thereof, a spring carried by said closure disk for normally maintaining the sections thereof in closed position and for automatically returning said sections thereto, and an annular inwardly directed flange at the open end of said tube adapted to project over and in surface engagement with said disk sections in the closed position thereof to seal said tube against leakage. l

WILLARD B. STEVENS. 

